A variety of mandolins?

[AndreaL]

Hi there - just wondering if anyone can help me with these instruments, I think they are mandolins but Iʻm not sure...a Hawaiian band with Ernest Kaai in the front c1910
any help appreciated
Andrea

[Bill Snyder]

No mandolins in that photo. At least 3 of them appear to be soprano ukuleles. The instrument on the ground is a 6 string guitar. The large instrument held by Mr. Kaai has six, evenly spaced strings so I would guess some sort of guitar as well. I am not sure how many strings the instrument in back left corner has, but they are not pairs so it is not a mandolin family instrument. The instrument in the back left corner has paired strings but I think it has five pairs. Could be a mandolin family instrument but not a mandolin.

[DavidKOS]

No mandolins in that photo. At least 3 of them appear to be soprano ukuleles. The instrument on the ground is a 6 string guitar. The large instrument held by Mr. Kaai has six, evenly spaced strings so I would guess some sort of guitar as well. I am not sure how many strings the instrument in back left corner has, but they are not pairs so it is not a mandolin family instrument. The instrument in the back left corner has paired strings but I think it has five pairs. Could be a mandolin family instrument but not a mandolin.

That's right.

I still have not decided what the 5 course instrument in the upper left is (some sort of bandola/cuatro/whatever) but the lute shaped instrument is simply a guitar lute. Normal guitar neck and tuning on a lute body.

But - I cannot tell if it really is a lute back or a flat back instrument, it sort of looks flat back and it does not look like most of the other guitar-lutes I've seen.

It also may have a raised metal nut, and in that case would be a lap steel (Hawaiian guitar). Most of these bands had an acoustic Hawaiian guitar, and the other guitar looks like it is not set up for it.

[DavidKOS]

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?21961-Meet-Ernest-Kaai

Our own thread on Kaai - evidently he played mandolin too:

Here are a couple:

http://www.lchr.org/a/5/i1/ukeplayers.html

http://www.ukulele.org/?Inductees:1997-1998:Ernest_Kaai

He also wrote a book of melodies for Hawaiian steel guitar, so he may have played that too, since he seemed able to play all of the string instruments of his time and place.